AURORA | A GEO Group employee at the Aurora ICE detention facility was arrested Friday in connection with the shooting of a woman involved in a protest outside of the building.
GEO employee, Brandon Booth, 42, was entering the facility at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, when the shooting occurred.
“An initial investigation revealed that the women were part of a protest occurring near the Aurora ICE Processing Center earlier that evening,” Aurora police spokesperson Agent Kristopher McDowell said in a statement. “Booth was waiting in his vehicle along Nome Street with other employees due to the protest impeding their ability to gain access to the facility for their work shifts.”
Two women verbally confronted him and took pictures of his car, police reported.
Police said Booth then allegedly grabbed a personally owned pistol from his car and fired a single shot at the women, hitting one of them. He then drove away before being detained by police.
Emma Landis, 21, said she got shot on her right ankle, according to reporting by the Associated Press.
Police took the Landis to a hospital, and her injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening, McDowell said.
“It’s not a joke. This isn’t a game. This isn’t something you see on social media and hope not to experience,” Landis said.
Booth faces charges for attempted second-degree murder, first degree assault, attempted first degree assault, felony menacing and unlawful carrying of a concealed weapon, police said.
“This is a tragedy on all fronts, and the Aurora Police Department will investigate this incident with the same commitment to transparency and integrity as we do all shootings,” said Aurora Chief of Police Todd Chamberlain. “We remain committed to ensuring an ethical, thorough, objective, and comprehensive review of this case. Violence of any kind will not be tolerated in Aurora. Constitutional rights are a pivotal part of a just society – violence is not.”
In a statement, GEO Group spokesperson Christopher Ferreira said the company was aware that “an off-duty Aurora ICE Processing Center employee was involved in a shooting incident.”
“This individual has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, and we will fully cooperate with law enforcement,” the statement said.
Booth is currently being held in the Adams County jail in lieu of $500,000 bond.
This case remains under investigation and decisions regarding criminal charges will be made by the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Police are asking anyone with any additional information about this incident, including any footage, to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
No argument that he shouldn’t have resorted to violence and should be investigated and charged if appropriate.
But blocking an employee’s lawful access to his job is far beyond peaceful protest and is in no way protected by the First Amendment. If Booth gets charged then so should every protester who blocked his wholly lawful access. Lesser crime, yes but the on-going non-enforcement is only leading to more violence.
Its time to start locking protesters up each and every time they obstruct lawful action– in this case a GEO employee simply arriving for work. You can’t simply excuse such obstruction as free speech just because someone calls it “protest.”
If APD can’t enforce the law and maintain public safety around the facility, then turn perimeter security over to the US Military. The Marines train for, and are particularly adept at handling protesters at our embassies and consulates, are they not?
BTW I say this all as someone who never voted for Trump.
So you read about a violent assault, and the first place your mind goes is “did the victim commit any petty offenses? Who else can we prosecute for something minor?”
No one cares who you didn’t vote for when you’re promoting authoritarianism.
If you want violent protesters locked up, you should be even more outraged that the January 6 violent protestors were pardoned.
Then, on the other hand if the protesters didn’t stop the shooter from going to his work she wouldn’t have been shot.
If the protester didn’t verbally threaten the shooter’s family, she wouldn’t have been shot.
So many sides that fall under this GEO umbrella.
It looks as if this will be a short story as GEO will soon realize moving to the new Hudson site will stop much of these problems as you can bet they will close down this one.
I can’t say for sure as I don’t want to waste my time going to watch these protesters but how much of the protest is planned by the Democratic Socialists. I’ll bet most of it along with a bunch of very young “want to be’s”.
It would appear tRump’s Gestapo is out of control.
APD police chief said this is “a tragedy on all fronts.” I’d like to hear him explain who, aside from the victim of the shooting, this a tragedy for.
Well Dane, not sure what the APD police chief would say, but I would suggest it is also a tragedy for people simply trying to go to work, in jobs supporting law enforcement, without being verbally or physically assaulted and having their families threatened by increasingly violent protesters. Does that make sense? Engaging in violence toward others is not without its risks. Eventually, someone is going to “snap.”